BuzzSugar

Buzz In: What Did You Think of the Ugly Betty Season Premiere?

BuzzSugar — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:30:00 -0700

The fourth season of Ugly Betty kicked off this week, with a two-hour premiere on Friday night. ABC hasn't exactly been heavily marketing the show, and many - including me - are worried that the new time slot could be a death sentence. I was happy to have Betty back in my living room, and I'm already loving the new work dynamic between her and Matt. Plus, I was excited to see more of Justin, and while I think it's high time for Betty's braces to come off, I'm glad they didn't dive right into the makeover we all know is coming.

So what are your thoughts on the premiere? Did you come back to Betty on Friday nights, or are you throwing in the towel?

Paula Abdul's Next Move: Ugly Betty?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:10:21 -0700

After Paula Abdul stepped down from American Idol last week, the entertainment industry started rumbling with thoughts about where she'd go next. At TCA, there wasn't a network that didn't want to claim her in some way, shape, or form. But I still wasn't expecting this: Abdul is reportedly in talks to guest-star on Ugly Betty for an episode in the upcoming season.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Abdul would play a temp at the Mode offices who becomes close with Becki Newton's Amanda.

Though Abdul is known as a singer, dancer, judge, and general reality TV personality, I wouldn't have put "actress" at the top of her resume. Then again, she has had a number of roles in various shows and movies and has lately been filming a couple of appearances on Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva. Maybe now that Idol's done, she wants to concentrate on her acting. What do you make of this story? A promising idea? Or just bizarre?

Link Time! 8/6

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:30:33 -0700

Did Ugly Betty really need a makeover? - BellaSugar
Lost's Josh Holloway figures Sawyer has to die by the end of the series. - MTV Movies Blog
Have you heard Radiohead's new charity track? - Vulture
Dear CW: Stop the remakes! - TV.com
Milla Jovovich talks "girl fights," being a mom, and Resident Evil. - Moviefone
Is it time to take Chris Kattan (more) seriously? - Cinematical
Why does NBC have trouble selling smart ideas? - The TV Addict
No, really, this is relevant to the upcoming movie Final Destination: Could a car wash kill you for real? - Popwatch

Link Time! 7/30

BuzzSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:30:51 -0700

A roundup of the 15 creepiest kids in movies. - Moviefone
Are these the best (or worst) on-screen drunks? - TV.com
Many blogs are declaring Aug. 4 "A Day Without Megan Fox." Would you like a day without Megan Fox? - Popwatch
Seven gimmicky reality dating shows. - TrèsSugar
ABC is getting focus groups to comment on Ugly Betty's makeover. - The Ausiello Files
Watch other USA characters pay tribute to Monk. - TV Squad
Another new track from the Monsters of Folk. - Vulture
I love this interview with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Kaitlin Olson. - MTV Movies Blog

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler Gives Ugly Betty an Assist

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:30:00 -0700

Since the start of Ugly Betty, Betty has been Daniel Meade's faithful assistant, rescuing him from all manner of scrapes (even if she causes a few problems of her own along the way). But now that she's been promoted, who will lend Daniel a hand - especially as he's grieving?

Turns out, Meadow Soprano is headed to Mode. Jamie-Lynn Sigler, best known for her role on The Sopranos, will appear on the show in the Fall as Natalie, Daniel's new right-hand gal. The "sexy, spiritual, fun" Natalie will be a recurring character in the show's fourth season, starting with the season premiere.

This news gives me some hope for Betty's sake. I'd been afraid that the show would immediately find a way for her to be Daniel's assistant again, but it looks like she'll actually get to make a real go of things as a features editor. And this description of Natalie - specifically the "sexy" and the "spiritual" - makes me wonder if she'll be the one Daniel really leans on as he deals with Molly's loss.

Are you glad Daniel's getting a new assistant? And how do you think Sigler will do in the role?

Five Questions For Ugly Betty

BuzzSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:30:07 -0700

It's Summer, and that means it's time for my Five Questions series, where I reflect on the most recent seasons of some favorite shows and chat about their challenges for the future. Today, I'm posing some questions for Ugly Betty, which will start its fourth season in the Fall.

Will the move to Friday night kill this show? Even if you love Betty, will you love it enough to stay in on Friday to tune in? Usually that time slot is a killer, even with DVD recording taken into account. On the other hand, though, expectations are lower for big ratings - and maybe that will give the writers some flexibility to explore smaller storylines and remember what made the show so special in the first place.
Can Daniel recover from Molly's death? Molly turned Daniel from a playboy into a regular Prince Charming, but with her gone, how will Daniel deal? This is the most committed we've ever seen him - Daniel Meade, married! - and I wonder if he'll keep the good-guy attitude or swear off relationships for good. Will we be in for episode upon episode of Daniel moping? Or will he return to his wild ways with a whole bunch of ladies sweeping in and out of his life? And will he ultimately break down and say something to Betty like, "If I don't get close to anyone, I won't have to feel pain again"? (I'd bet good money that line makes it into the season.)

Three more questions coming up, so read more.

Just how evil is Matt going to get? I think we all called this one: Matt was never to be trusted, and he was always kind of a petulant child. But now he's clearly evil, and he's likely to make Betty's life at Mode a living hell just when she's building up some career momentum. How will she break free of his wicked grasp? How long will it take?
Will there be wedding bells for Hilda? He's a little boring, but ~~the karate kid~~ Archie is really good for Hilda. Remember when he totally was understanding about Betty kidnapping a baby? That's the kind of guy you want to hang onto - especially when you have Hilda's crazy family and crummy dating track record. So is it too much to ask for a big Hilda wedding? She deserves some happiness!
Whom did Willi see in the season finale? Was it Connor? And if so, do we really want that guy back? I'm not so sure. I do know that I like evil, ambitious, scheming Willi more than love-lorn, mushy Willi, and I'm hoping whatever mysterious figure she spotted in those closing minutes means there's lots more devilish behavior to come.

Should Betty's Braces Just Come Off Already?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:30:43 -0700

If I were Betty Suarez, I'd be pretty sick of braces after more than two years, and according to some dentists, those braces would be off by now for sure. In fact, some specialists are claiming that Ugly Betty gives a "detrimental" portrayal of wire braces because Betty hasn't had her braces removed yet, and because the braces supposedly make her "unattractive." Tracey Posner, of the British Orthodontic society, has stated:

It is irresponsible of the programme makers to portray Betty as "ugly" because she wears prominent braces. Ugly Betty is in its third year on our TV screens and Betty remains in over-exaggerated, heavy "train-track" braces. This is not a true reflection of orthodontic practice. It is highly unlikely an adult would wear braces beyond two years. Betty's braces are certainly intended to be seen by viewers as damaging to her appearance. People who wear braces are not ugly. People considering treatment should not be put off by such a stereotype.

I'm not convinced that there are scads of people resisting getting braces simply because Betty Suarez wears them, but I guess I can see the orthodontists' concern. I do think it's high time Betty's braces come off, though (and some say the braces removal is coming soon), just because it seems to make sense at this point.

Beyond the braces, however, I'm not sure I want Betty to have a more thorough makeover. Do you think Betty should ever get a complete makeover?

Caption It: Which Caption Should Win?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:30:13 -0700

Thanks for submitting your witty captions for this week's challenge:

There can only be one winner, though. Time to vote!

Ugly Betty Rundown: Episode 23, "Curveball," and Episode 24, "The Fall Issue"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:00:03 -0700

Well, friends, this week concludes Ugly Betty's run on Thursday nights. The show brought out loads of stars for its third season finale, but then a lot of things happened and then unhappened and then rehappened again, and I'm wondering this morning if we actually needed two whole hours of that.

Betty has the job! Betty doesn't have the job. Betty's promoted! Betty isn't promoted. Betty's in love! Betty isn't in love. Betty's sort of in love? And then there's the ever-present threat of Molly dying hanging over everything, and even though it's predictable and slightly manipulative, I still cried. Let's get to chatting - just read more.

So Molly didn't die after last week's cliffhanger, and after she gets out of the hospital, the whole world is smitten with her relationship with Daniel. He's no longer a man-whore to the world but Prince Charming instead.
Therefore, he gets to go on The View to promote the wedding issue. I feel like this could have been funnier.
Um, I think I might get fired if my boyfriend showed up to work as much as Matt does. He stops by with his first painting and it's so ugly! Betty is practically naked in it, too.
The best ever is when Amanda sees it and gasps, "It's like looking at the butt of Satan!"
Of course, when Betty is all, "Everything is perfect! There's even a rainbow!" when she and Matt talk about moving in together, that's right when she spots Henry.
Then she Facebook-stalks him! Turns out Henry has a new aerobics girlfriend (Hazel from Gossip Girl), so now he's all buff.
I got so irritated with Betty when she does the whole compare-Matt-to-Henry scoreboard thing. Betty's inner voice is kind of funny, though: "Should I mention Matt's rich? No! That's gross."
And then Matt making his stomach talk is awesome.
Daniel is so awkward at the baseball game with Molly when he tells that other lady he doesn't want to go out with her! I cringed.

I'm convinced the only reason Betty gets the job at The New York Review is so we could get a teary Daniel/Betty goodbye moment. But then of course she doesn't get the job and is staying at Mode, so . . . whatever.
Meanwhile, Matt was driving me nuts. He gets mad at Betty all the time! He's so sensitive that she doesn't announce to the whole world they're moving in together.
But then, um, Matt totally has a right to be mad because Betty makes out with Henry! And Matt sees it, of course. Why is he there? Also, do people really do this Facebook status message stalking thing? For one thing, it's kind of hard to find people's status messages on Facebook these days.
Christine Baranski and Vanessa Williams singing together at the piano is brilliant. Dream come true.
Baranski spills the beans that Claire has a love child somewhere out there. I kept hoping/thinking it would be Matt.

Who does Willi see in the end? Connor?! And does Daniel really see Molly's ghost? Also, I never really thought Matt and Betty were destined to be together, but I didn't see evil Matt coming, either. He's going to be so awful next season, I just know it.

What are your highlights from this week's two-hour bonanza? Who's your favorite guest star? And was it enough to make you follow Betty to Fridays in the Fall?

TV Tonight: Betty's Final Thursday

BuzzSugar — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:30:18 -0700

There was good news and not-so-good news this week for ABC's Ugly Betty. The good news is that the show will be returning next season, but the ominous news is that it is moving to Fridays. Even though some argue that the Thursday night time slot isn't what it used to be for any show on network television, I still feel worried that this spells trouble for Betty.

Sure, the show is lacking in certain ways compared to when it first started, but when it's good, it's so much better than a lot of other shows out there. It kind of pains me to even think about saying goodbye. But I'm jumping the gun. Who knows? Maybe Friday night won't be the kiss of death for this show.

At any rate, we have one last Thursday evening with Betty ahead of us and the two-hour finale looks like a whopper. After the jump I've included two previews of what's in store for tonight. As you probably know from last week's preview, Henry is back and it becomes clear that Betty's not totally over him. Meanwhile, Matt's a painter! Ha! He paints a hysterical picture of Betty that you'll see in the clip and then asks her a pretty big question.

Who's tuning in tonight? What are your hopes for the season finale? What are you dreading? To watch the clips, read more.